Improved gas apparatus



J. PONTON.

Gas Apparatus.

- Patented" May 19. 1868,

W/NESS S A war 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PONTON, 0F BUFFALO, NE YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JACOB F. HAYEN, ()F SAME PLACE.

IM PROVED GAS APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 78,006, dated May 19, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:,

Be it known that I, JOHN PONTON, of Butfalo, in the county of Erie, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Making Fixed Illuminating-Gas from Petroleum Oil or other Hydrocarbons; and I view of the same at line a a in Fig. 2; Fig. 4,.

a sectional side view of the air-mixer; Fig. 5, a sectional end view of the same; Fig. 6, a sectional side view of the sub-reservoir, and Fig. 7 an end view of the same.

I construct a furnace or iurnaces of any desired size, A, Fig. 2, of which the outer shell is sheet-iron or other suitable material,with an innerlining of fire-brick or other non-condoctor of heat, as at 1), Figs. 2-and 3, so constructed as to leave between them the chamber or space marked by arrows inFig. 3, in the interior of which furnace .I place a movable retort,O,Figs 2and 3, with an inclination toward the exit .00, Fig. 2, made of iron or other suitahle material, and place therein a movable screw, 0, Fig. 2, constructed of iron or other suitable material, fitting accurately the interior surface of said retort, the flanges of which are perforated at the base, as at d (1, Figs. 2 and 3, and arranged in such a manner that it may be withdrawn through :the end of the retort by removing the cap c, Fig. 2, withoutinterfering with the rest of the apparatus. The chamber marked with arrowsin Fig. 3 has communication with the external atmosphere only through aperturesfff in Fig. 2.

In the base of the furnace is a chamber marked 9, Figs. 2 and 3, which is separated from the fire-chamber h h, Figs. 2 and 3, by a Into the chamber 9, Figs. 2 and 3, is introduced the pipe k 70 in Figs. 2 and 3, perforated with holes at the top (marked 8 s in Fig. 2) along its entire length, on the outer end of which pipe is acheck-valve, Z, in Fig. 2, .for the purposeof regulating the admission of gas into said chamber.

mm in Figs. 2 and 3 is a pipe through which petroleum or other fluid hydrocarbon is introduced into the retort (J, Fig. 2, through the aperture marked it n, Figs. 2 and 3, from the reservoir, Figs. 6 and 7, and marked Ain Fig.

1, the supply being regulated'by a springvalve marked 1), Figs. 1 and 2.

A in Fig. 1 is a reservoir hermetically sealed for holding the petroleum or other fluid hydrocarhon in such quantities as may be required, constructed of iron or other suitable material, which is fed from the main tank or sourceot supply through the pipe b in Figs. I and-VI.

c in Figs. I and VI is a float of any suitable material, connected by the rod d in Fig. VI with the valve or in Fig. VI, practically forming a float-valve regulating the supply of oil and maintaining it at a. fixed level in said reservoir.

0 in Figs. vI andVI is aball-valve. the proper position of which is at fin Fig. VI, intended to prevent the return of the oil to the main source of supply from any undue pressure in said reservoir.

Aperture 9 in Fig I and VII is the point at which the supply-pipe for the retort mm in Fig. 2 is connected with saidreservoir, and aperture h in Figs. I and VII is the point at which any distillate maybe returned .to said reservoir from the condenser marked B in Fig. 1.

0 in Fig. I is an air mixer, ofiwhich Figs. 4 and '5 are sectional views, containing any desired number of chambers, as a a a, Fig. IV, into which the gas is introduced from condenser B,Fig. I, through the pipe in. in Figs. 1 and IV, and into which atmospheric air is introduced through apertures 83 in Figs.I and IV.

Fig. V is a sectional view of each of the chambers of the air-mixer, into any of which chambers either gas or air is admitted bymov ing the piston b in Fig. IV at pleasure in. the

tube 0, Figs. 4 and 5. d d in Figs. 4 and 5 is.

the outer chamber, where the gas and air are mixed before passing, into the gasometer (marked D in Fig. 1)through pipe t, Figs. I, IV, and V.

e e in Figs. 1V and V are the pipes above the water-line, through which the gas or air respectively is introduced into the said chambers a a in Fig. IV.

D in Fig. I is an ordinary gasometer, which by its rise or fall moves the weight 1' in Fig. I,

attached to the spring-valvep in Figs. I and II, which regulates the supply of oil to the retort 0, Figs. 2 and 3.

The dotted lines in Fig. I represent the frame in which the whole apparatus is contained, made of iron or other suitable material, the chief purpose of which is to separate the heated furnace from the rest of the-apparatus bya water compartment, as at d d in Fig. I, and also for the purpose of having the condenser B and oil reservoir A, Fig. I, and the feed-pipe e 6, Fig. I, and other pipes and connections completely submerged in cold water.

ti u in Fig. I is an adjustable elbow, of brass or other suitable material, which is so connected with the outer end of the retort, and with the check-valve 'v in Fig. I and l in Fig.

2, that the expansion or contraction of said re-. tort will open or close the said valve and regu-- late the supply of gas to the furnace in the proportions required.

n, Fig. I, is a pipe leading from the gasometer D, Fig. I, to the furnace under the retort, regulated as last above described.

w m, Figs.I and II, is the escape-pipe from the retort, connecting with condenser E, Fig. I; and z in Fig. Iis a pipe through which the distillate I enters the reservoir A from condenser B in Fig.

I, (h in Fig. VII.)

The. following is the operation of my machine: Gas being admitted through the valve I, Fig. 2, from any source of supply, passes through the pipekir Figs. 2 and 3, and through. smallaperturesin the top of said pipe (marked 8 s Fig. 2) into the chamber g, Figs. 2 and 3,,

where it is mixed with atmospheric air supplied from the apertures ff, Fig. 2, said current of air being described by arrows in Fig. 3. In that state'of intermixture the gas and air passes through the wire-gauze H, Figs. 2 and 3, and also through the porous tire-clay q q, Figs.

2 and 3, at which point it is ignited. As the furnace becomes heated the current of atmospheric air, (marked by arrows in Fig. 3,)becoming heated, returns the waste heat into the chamber 9, Figs. 2 and 3, where it. becomes utilized in increasing the temperature of the .gas and air previous to ignition, until the required degree of heatis attained in furnace h h, Figs. 2 and 3. The heat having equal access to all sides of the retort (J, Figs. 2 and 3, gradually expands said retort. When the. required degree of heat is attained-say 900 Fahrenheit-the elbow marked a u, Fig. I, being at tached to the outer end of said retort, is then adjusted to said valve 1; in Fig. I and l in Fig. II, so that anyincreased expansion of said'retort will shut off the flow of gas and any contraction will turn it on. The required degree of heat having been attained in the retort, the petroleum or other fluid hydrocarbon is admitted into the reservoir A, Fig. I, through the pipe I), Fig. I, from any main .source of supply, from thence finds an exit through the passes round the screw 0, Fig. 2, until it finds an exit at m, Fig. 2, into the condenser B, Fig. I. Should any portion of the fluid hydrocarbon not be instantly decomposed, it will flow down the inclined plane through the perforations dd in Figs. 2 and 3 in the base of the flanges of the screw 0, Fig. 2, and become decomposed in such passage. From the pointer in Figs. 1 and 2 the gas passes through the condenser B in Fig. I, where any. unfixed portion will become condensed and find its way through the aperture or connection 2, Fig. I, into the reservoir A,Fig. I, again to be passed through the retort, while all the fixed gas will ascend through the pipe y in Fig. I and pass and run through the pipem, Fig. I, into the air-mixer C, Fig. I, Where it is mixed with atmospheric air, as previously described, in proportions as arranged by piston b, Fig. 4.,

and from thence passes throughvthe pipe tin Figs. I, IV, andV into the gasometer D, Fig, I, and is ready for illuminating purposes. As the gasometer rises it'raises the weight 1", Fig. I, which is attached to the spring-valve 1), Figs. I and II, thereby stopping the supply of oil, and as the gas is consumed and the gasometer falls the weight 1", Fig. I, is released and the oil readmitted through the spring-valve 12,

.Figs. I and II, this operation continuing so clination, together with a movable screw or its equivalent, in the interior, substantially as described, arranged in such a manner that the gas generated from petroleum or other hydrocarbon will have to travel over the whole interior surface of said retort previous to its being let free.

3. The application of any mechanical device I attached to said retort,in the manner substantially as above described, whereby the expansion or contraction of said retort will regulate the supply of fuel to the furnace.

4. The application of any pyrometer to any 'high temperature before ignition.

6. A sub-reservoir in the above connection, substantially as described, the chief principle of which consists in its being hermetically sealed and entirely submerged, and so connected with the retort that the pressure of gas will drive the oil or other fluid hydrocarbon from the sub-reservoir to the retort, in lieu of atmospheric pressure.

7. The application of a float-valve, substan-' tially as described, in connection with a reservoir, the chief principle of which consists in admitting only sufficient oil to said reservoir as will maintain any fixed level.

-8. In connection with said reservoir, a ball, check,or other valve,substantially as described, the chief principle of which is to prevent the return of any fluid or gas from said reservoir to the main source of supply from any undue pressure in said reservoir.

9. The application of'an air-mixer, arranged upon the principle of the old wet-meter, substantially as above described, in connection with said apparatus, the chief principle of which consists in having any desired number of com partments,and each compartment havingbuckets running in one and the same direction, so that air or gas can be admitted to either compartment byamovable piston orits equivalent, thereby mixing the gas and air in metrical proportions, as required. I do not claim a meter or airmixer in which the buckets are reversed.

10. That the said mixer maybe worked by power other than the pressure of gas, which will then answer the purpose of exhausting the gas from the retort and relieving it from pressure, as well as mixing the air and gas.

11. The application of a feed-pipe to the retort, substantially as above described, the chief principleof which consistsin being totally submerged in cold water to the very point of ingress to said retort.

12. Theapplication of a spring or other valve, substantially as above described, attached to the said feed-pipe, and arranged in any manner similar to that above described, so that the rise 13. In connection with above apparatus, a

tank or tanks, arranged in any manner, so as to protect the different parts of the above apparatus from heat.

14. A condenser, substantially as above described, arranged in such a manner that the distillate will return to said reservoir.

JOHN PONTON:

Witnesses:

BEN. P. WRIGLEY, JAMES WINsHIP; 

